Densho Digital Archive
Densho Visual History Collection
Title: Frank S. Fujii Interview
Narrator: Frank S. Fujii
Interviewers: Larry Hashima (primary), Beth Kawahara (secondary)
Location: Seattle, Washington
Date: September 3 and 5, 1997
Densho ID: denshovh-ffrank-01-0025

<Begin Segment 25>

LH: Well, going back again sort of right before you left, I mean, your father actually, eventually was reunited with you and your mother and your brother in Tule Lake. What was that like?

FF: Yeah, I think when the Justice Department okayed his release from Santa Fe, New Mexico to Tule Lake and I said, "Dad's coming back, man." And then I told Seibo, who was still in camp, "He's coming back." And so we knew what day -- they didn't tell us what time. So waiting for a truck to drop him off, and we waited and waited -- and I remember it was in the afternoon, and it was a hot day, and the truck dropped him off, and he had to get off the back, and I grabbed his luggage and I brought it inside. And, now, I didn't see him from '41 December 7th 'til, '44 something, in '44. So that's a few years, and I think when I've grown up so much... I, my body's changed, my looks changed and I'm more a man. I mean, I've grown about 5-6 inches. And so as he looked around the family, Seibo nods and his, my dad's grandson and he looks at Mom. And then some guests that knew him and some people in Tule, Seattle folks that knew him and I think... who else was in camp at that still, Seibo, me, Mom and Kinko. They were all gone in a sense, but the whole scenario was the lot of his peer group, who Dad sort of remembered and didn't, because I think he was, he was too tired that day. But the bad scenario was, as he went around the room, he nodding his head and kinda greeting everybody by looking at them, and kind of saying, "I think I know you, but, hi, how are you." But then he points to me, of all people, and he says, "Who's this boy?" And, you know, that, that really shook me. But I, I never forgot that, because I felt loss at that time. And I think that mental part of it all, that's what, I think the effect of camp does to you. It isn't the other monetary kind of things that get to you. 'Cause you could always sort of adjust. But the loss of a family tie. It was tough.

And, but I was glad. I was glad he was there. In fact, I tried to be this nice guy to Dad. I said, "Dad, I heard you played shogi a lot," and, you know, it's that Japanese chess game. And I said, "If you teach me, I'll play with you," 'cause, you know, I want him to have something to do. And he tried to teach me -- the dummy son, "I can't teach him this." But I tried, I really tried, and my brother Seibo knew how to play. He tried to say, "You're too dumb for this, you know, how could -- Dad won't have fun playing with you." So Dad found some older gentlemen to play with, so that was good. But it was hard. I think I lost that, that tie, and ever since then it's been, it was downhill. 'Cause he lost his pride. And to see him come back to Seattle poor. And so... but I wish he would have been -- let's see... he passed away in '66 and he was in a nursing home, and we moved into this house in '65 and wanted him to come see the place. But mentally he wasn't able to deal with that. 'Cause I wanted him to be proud that I had this nice home, and wanted him to appreciate it and think that if it wasn't for him, to be proud of me. But I think he just... well, he couldn't. Then when Mom passed away in '77... well, she was in a nursing home, but one Thanksgiving I thought, "Maybe she could come over." And she was going to. I had a Volkswagen VW bus, so I thought, "Oh perfect. My brothers could lift her and put her in the bus and bring her over to this house." And I thought, "Oh, that would be great." But she canceled out, and I thought, "Oh gosh, I wanted to surprise her and let her know that her son's doing okay," and so I was, that was another tough part.

I think for some reason I probably took it the toughest of all the kids. I was so angry at that Keiro nursing home that I think when you lose your father or one of the parents first and then the second. The first one isn't too tough, but the second one becomes tougher, because it's the finality of no parents at all. And guess what, I was at, on the parking lot after I found out, waiting for the doctor to arrive. And I went to ,the Buddhist bus was parked there. And I was angrier than heck and Susie my daughter was with me. And I was angry at the world that this had happened, and I punched right into the side of the bus and I must have hit right in between the flanges so that just a big dent, dent. Okay? I said, "Gee, did I do that? 'Cause it don't hurt my hand, I must have hit it perfect, right?" So I went in to see the Buddhist bus driver at Keiro and asked him, "Is that your bus out there? 'Cause I think I got a dent in it," you know. He came out and said, "That's not you, how could you, your car isn't that high." And I said, "No, no my..." "Your hand? What are you doing up there?" And I didn't realize that when you're angry, I had done that. But you know he couldn't believe me. He didn't believe I did that and I said, "I did it with my hand. My daughter could tell you. Whatever the damage I'll pay for it." And then he says, "No, it's okay." And it was sort of a humorous thing and yet I was angry, and that's what happens when you lose your final parents. But that part, I said to myself, boy, I needed to release, I needed to release. So, I think to see your parents in a nursing home like that and both falter in it, it was tough. I think, you know, you don't want to deal with that and yet I'm glad I feel that way. I think it's because I cared for them so much and I wish I could have done more. But like the baby of the family you can't, you know, wealthy enough to take care of them, or you got your own life to lead. But they always managed to take care of me always so... but we all survived.

<End Segment 25> - Copyright © 1997 Densho. All Rights Reserved.